Business cards are a traditional way to make introductions. The obvious limitation of a business card is its size. Only a small amount of information can be printed on each side of a card, so it usually refers to outside contact information. For an artist or professional with a portfolio, or a business with many options, it is desirable to have a multi-faceted presentation.
This invention provides a small notebook, the best contemplated application of which is for a portfolio of business cards.
When several business cards are simply bound together into a miniaturized notebook, numerous problems occur. First, there is the “margin problem.” The process of binding pages together obfuscates their inner margins. When the sheets are as small as business cards, every millimeter matters. Second is the “non-uniformity problem.” A bound notebook does not lie perfectly flat. It is typically thicker at one end than the other. Depending on how it is bound, a book with small pages may have trouble staying open or closed. If a business card notebook had non-uniform thickness, it would be difficult to put in a pocket or wallet. There is also a “non-continuity” problem, related to the margin problem. It is impossible to present a smoothly continuous image on two adjacent pages when the margins are pinched together out of sight.
This invention allows for a business card portfolio with none of the described limitations. This is accomplished by means of a unique folding and binding method. The notebook comprises one continuous sheet folded in concertina fashion (also known as an “accordion fold”). Each end of the sheet is secured to a cover. The covers are bound together with thin string in a particular configuration. This unique binding allows the notebook to be opened at either spine, while the opposite spine remains secured. The concertina fold allows for full utilization of each page, with no lost margins or discontinuity between pages. Because the binding is thin and symmetric, the notebook lies flat with uniform thickness and may be easily pocketed. As a consequence of the binding, the notebook also has the novelty feature of allowing “two books in one.” The book may be opened along one spine to show one portfolio, and then turned around and opened along the other spine to reveal another portfolio.